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Moses – God Teaches His People How to Love
The promises of the covenant with Abraham were to unfold through history. As his descendents grew, God took care of them. He sent Joseph to Egypt through the jealousy of his brothers to help the Hebrew people survive a great famine. While in Egypt, Abraham’s descendents did indeed multiply. They grew so numerous that the…
Read MoreNoah – a Beautiful Promise of the Covenant
Noah’s flood is another story that is often caricatured into a children’s story. Yet, the story of the Flood is filled with meaning. The Flood shows what happens when humanity chooses to live without God’s limits. God’s law establishes order in the universe, and in the human heart. When God removed His limits from Creation,…
Read MoreThe Fall – the Covenant Broken but Not Destroyed
Adam and Eve broke the covenantal relationship of love with God. However, the broken covenant did not mean that God stopped loving us. From the very beginning of the Fall God’s love is revealed as mercy. For example, it is a plausible understanding of the Genesis story that God gave Adam and Eve the chance…
Read MoreMoral Principle the Ends Do Not Justify the Means
Definition We cannot reach a good goal (“ends”) by doing evil to get it (the “means” to the goal). Explanation We’ve all heard someone justifying doing something evil by saying, “but I meant well,” or, “I did what I had to do.” Euthanasia is often justified by claiming it is done to relieve suffering. Movie…
Read MoreJesus Fulfills Salvation History
People of the Jewish faith who become Catholic (or part of a Christian ecclesial community) often claim that they are not changing religions, but living the fullness of their Jewish faith. Indeed, as Catholics we see it very much the same way. As Saint Paul tells us, we Gentile Christians are grafted onto the tree…
Read MoreMaterialism
Stuck in This World Materialism is the philosophy that reality consists only in the physical and tangible. Materialists seek their ultimate happiness in physical pleasures and possessions. They don’t believe in spiritual goods and they don’t really value human nature. People who embrace materialism often teeter between living life to the fullest and falling into…
Read MoreAbraham – God Begins to Bring Humanity Back to the Covenant
Even though humanity had given up on the Covenant, God never has. The rest of Salvation History is the story of God gently calling us back to the Divine Family by teaching us how to trust, obey and love Him. God takes the first step with a man named Abaram. The main lesson that god…
Read MoreMoral Principle of Human Dignity
Definition Every moral decision must treat all human beings as persons, concerned with the spiritual and physical dimensions of human nature and attendant to the inherent worth of every individual life. Explanation This is among the most fundamental principles derived from the moral law. Many theologians consider it self-evident. The dignity of the human person…
Read MoreMoral Principle Growth Through Suffering
Definition While suffering is a response to evil, it is not itself an evil. Especially when redeemed by grace, suffering can contribute to our growth as human beings. Explanation Common human experience (natural law) tells us that the experience of suffering can help us develop a good character. When we suffer, we begin to realize…
Read MoreMoral Principle of the Common Good
Definition The common good is the collection of goods that are created and shared by a society that help human beings attain true human fulfillment. Explanation By coming together as a society, people create goods that would not necessarily be available to individuals living on their own. Goods such as culture, education, health care, and…
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